Sri Lankan percussionists Ray Pereira and Kanchana Karunaratna have used their wealth of experience and knowledge of both African and Sri Lankan rhythms and dance to come up with a new style of drumming. A style that draws it’s influences from both traditions.

The Afro Lankan Drumming System is an adaptable system of rhythms that can be played using a variety of African and Cuban drums including djembe,conga, dun duns and SriLankan drums gata bera , thammatamma, dawla, yak bera.

Ray Pereira

“As a young boy growing up in Sri Lanka, my friends and I would invade cricket matches armed with a motley collection of instruments. Drums, plastic buckets.dust bin lids,wooden boxes and scrap metal were used to play rhythms that turned the match into a riotous celebration. At home I listened to the drumming from the nearby Buddhist temple and on the streets I heard the sounds of ancient traditional rhythms celebrating religious festivals or exorcising evil spirits at rituals.

My travels around the world then led me to New York, Cuba and West Africa where I played and studied with master musicians immersing myself in the traditional rhythms of these diverse cultures. The more I listened and learned , the more I heard the similarities between these styles even though there were also great differences. When I met Kanchana, a master drummer in the Sri Lankan tradition, who also had experience of African and Cuban drumming, it only seemed natural that we should combine our collective knowledge and experience to start up the Afrolankan Drumming System.

As well as producing my own original projects, I work as an educator and workshop facilitator and record and perform with a number of top Australian Artists.”

Kanchana Karunaratna

"I started my training in traditional Sri Lankan Drumming and Dancing at the age of nine. My grandparents were rice farmers whose lives were steeped in the traditions and rituals of Sri Lankan culture. I vividly remember the work songs sung to pass the time while the rice was planted and to express the joy at harvest. Drums were played every full moon day at the temple, wedding ceremonies and at funerals. Drums provided the soundtrack to every significant milestone from birth to death. My training in Sri Lankan drumming and dance began at a young age with Master Drummer Karunaratna “Punchi” Bandara.
I then developed my interest in Afro Cuban and West African rhythms studying with Ray and travelling to Ghana to study in 2008. I have since continued my study of both African and Sri Lankan traditions expanding my knowledge and repertoire with regular travels to Sri Lanka as well as study sessions with Mamady Keita and Miguel "Anga" Diaz. and I look forward to developing the Afro Lankan Drumming System.

Karunaratna Bandara

Karunaratna Bandara, Professor of Aesthetic Studies at the University of Colombo, is regarded as an authority on traditional Sri Lankan drumming and dance. He is a Master Drummer and Dancer in the both the low country and hill country traditions.

He has toured internationally as a teacher and a performer and director and authored two books on Sri Lankan drumming traditions.

Bandara and his team of traditional drummers and dancers teach participants on our Study Tours to Sri Lanka and perform for us while we are there.